Thursday, July 29, 2010

Oregon Craft Beer Month: Closing Weekend Activities

Beer Luvvas,

The weekend is right around the corner, so I thought I'd pass along my weekend plans to close out 2010's Oregon Craft Beer Month:

Saturday: Baliey's Taproom 3rd Anniversary Barrel Aged BeerFest
213 SW Broadway
12-Close
I plan to arrive late afternoon after an appearance @ Portland's Annual Schnauzer Walk (Freebird and I foster mini-schnauzers occasionally). Seriously looking forward to:
  • Full Sail '09 Black Gold - Imperial Stout aged for 1yr in Bourbon barrels
  • Oakshire Very Ill Tempered Gnome - Strong Ale (Best in Fest from last year's Holiday Ale Fest) aged in a Pinot barrel for 5 months
  • Deschutes Pinot Twilight - Pale Ale aged in Pinot barrels
  • Caldera Mojli - Imperial Porter aged in Bourbon barrels
  • Firestone Parabola - Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon barrels
  • Hair of the Dog Cherry Adam - Old Ale aged with cherries in Bourbon and Sherry barrels
  • New Holland '09 Dragon's Milk - one of my new favorite brewers from the Great State of Michigan - Strong Ale aged in Oak barrels
  • Lompoc '08 Bourbon LDS - Strong Ale aged in Bourbon barrels
  • Three Skulls Wreckage - Barleywine aged in Bourbon barrels

Sunday: 16th Annual Bones & Brew

Technically Saturday 11am-9pm & Sunday 11am - 5pm in the Pearl District

Freebird and I will be grabbing a late lunch before picking up Gooney & Hop Hater & Twins @ the airport.

30+ Microbrews, a Kobe Bleu Ball eating contest and dog friendly - why would anyone miss it?

Hope to see you there!

Prost to Oregon Craft Beer Month, Bailey's and Bones & Brew!

PS - a reader actually picked Freebird out of the crowd @ OBF this year. You know who you are. Comment that you found her. I'm impressed!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Blue Frog 10th Anniversary Barrel Aged Stout

Wow! Buzz Tent is AWESOME!

All bourbon on the nose. Stout and bourbon on the back of the throat!

Oh, and presentation is also important!

GH
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Friday night @ OBF

There's too many men, too many people; causing too many problems. And not much love to round. Tell ya what it's the land of concusion!
GH
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Holy Grapefruit!

Mt.Emily Ale House Hells Canyon IPA - like drinkin a grapefruit. Crisp, clean and CITRUS!

GH
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OBF Band in Da House!

Every year these guys walk the tents and provide their version of drum/horn jam-band tunes.

Lines are everywhere so I've abandoned the IBU system.

HOPS! Mendocino Imperial IPA, Laurelwood Organic Deranger Imperial Red and Ballast Point Big Eye IPA. All were great hop bombs but the Big Eye has a flavor that we can't describe. Kinda sweet but also spicy. Not corriander. I'm flumoxed.

Prost to the mysterious Big Eye!
GH
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OBF Day 2

And so it begins...

Ninkasi Maiden The Shade Super Hopped IPA already has a line back to the tables. Luckily Freebird beat me downtown and I could get a quaff. Very light and crisp and @ only 70 IBUs barely super but definitely great!

10 Barrel ISA - an excellent summer quaf! 45 IBUs makes it go down easy like an analogy that I'm still way too sober to make.

Prost to OBF Day 2!
GH
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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Floater Mug on short leash @ OBF?

Beer Luvvas,

I was just asked for the first time @ OBF where the other person in my party was when I asked for two tasters. This could be enough of a reason to vote for Chris Dudley just because he wants to abolish the OLCC.

Back to the beers:

Surley Bitter Brewer - a smooth ESB, and worth a couple tokens.

Rogue 21 - the bock that should have been barrel aged. It's got a bourbon flaaaava, oh so sweet.

Prost!
GH
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OBF Buzz Tent

Beer Luvvas,

The Buzz Tent has destroyed my IBU system. Freebird talked up the Vertigo Brewing brewers so she went to The Buzz Tent and picked up a couple samples:

Maui Brewing Heaven and Hell: bourbon barrel aged barely wine - all bourbon on the nose, and way too sweet for any serious consumption. Recommend aging for at least 18 months.

Vertigo Brewing Friar Gone Wild - we think its an Imperial version of Friar Mike's IPA, and it was awesome!


GH
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Great Divide Hoss

Beer luvvas,

Hoss Rye Lager from Great Divide Brewing would be fabulous - if it was an ale. I can't really describe the difference between lagers and ales except that Hoss is missing whatever Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye has.

Prost to OBF and Hoss!
GH
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Le Freak is Super Freaky, Yeow!

Beer Luvvas,

Green Flash Le Freak is barely belgian. It's sweet but feels over hopped even though it only has 20 IBUs.

Followed Le Freak with Riverport Brewing Bedrock Bock: sweet and mild like a bock should be.

Prost to Le Freeak!
GH
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